Toe Warmers

[Karlo]

Hi everyone, I guess I'm late getting into the cold weather riding, but after getting some frost nip on my toes, I think it's time to get toe warmers, or booties. Which are the good brands, and should I get toe warmers or booties? I'm on a pretty tight budget, but I am willing to spend some money in order to aviod frostbitten toes. (amputation=bad)

 

[ibike73]

I use a pair of Pearl Izumi Calien toes , cost @ $20.00. They seem to work well. My toes stay warm and dry. But, I only ride outside if is going to get above 40*F.

Ron

 

[BikingBrian]

I see by your location that you are in Alaska?! The previous poster gave good info; the Pearl calientoes are a good product. However, I would imagine you would probably need something warmer for Alaska. I live in Hokkaido, Japan - where even in March the temp's are only a few degrees above freezing. I would suggest full booties; I've heard from our sister city (Seward) that the climate is similar.

 

[shokhead12]

I use reg socks and wool on top of that,some foil on the outside toe of the show with a toe cover,works well.

 

[shokhead12]

I use reg socks and wool on top of that,some foil on the outside toe of the shoe with a toe cover,works well.

 

[dorian]

Wool socks and pearl izumi amfib booties should do the trick for some pretty cold temps. If you also need waterproofness, pearl izumi toester booties are full neoprene and should protect you from the most extreme weather. Keeping your shoes just a little looser can help with circulation and keep your core warm. If your core is cold, your body will restrict blood flow to your extremities.

 

[KingB]

I live here in Canada and tend to stick to the trainer for most of the winter (-30 deg with about 6 feet of snow outside on the worst days). There are some hardcore commuters here in my office and they can only wear full on thermal protection head to toe.

However once the spring hits we get out on the roads (still fairly cold outside, hovering around freezing). All I do is get a big pair of old wool socks, pull them over my cycling shoes and cut a small hole in the bottom so the pedal cleat sticks out. Cheap and it works.

 

[capwater]

Super cheapo approach since I prefer to save my cash for more important bike stuff. Hit Walmart, KMart or any other discount retailer and pick of a pair of dress shoe rubbers for 8 bucks. Cut holes in the bottom for the cleats and you're good to go. It will keep out the rain and wind plus the fake penny loafer imprint is stylin'!

 

[sathomasga]

Originally posted by ibike73
I use a pair of Pearl Izumi Calien toes , cost @ $20.00. They seem to work well. My toes stay warm and dry. But, I only ride outside if is going to get above 40*F.

Ron

I have the Caliens as well but would not buy them again. They have a seam running right down the middle (in the same direction as the shoe), that will inevitably intersect any protrubence in the front of the shoe. My Nike Poggio's have a small rubber "foot" on the toe, I guess for stability when walking. The Caliens are coming apart where that seam meets the Poggio's rubber foot. They'll probably last less than a dozen rides before disintegrating completely. And even if that weren't a problem, the opening for the cleats is fraying much quicker than I would expect. I ride Speedplays, so the cleats are quite large, but the Caliens do fit over them without distortion. The problem is putting them on or off, when the Caliens inevitably rub against the hard metal of the Speedplay cleat. The seam was noticably bad after one or two rides and won't last more than a dozen; I'd estimate that the cleat opening hem wouldn't last a whole season.

(FWIW, I wear size 44.5 Poggios and have the L/XL Caliens, which are supposedly for size 45 and up, so I'm not trying to stretch something too small over my shoe.)

 

[Randybaker99]

Here is another super cheap idea that can help.

I use a nice wool sock, then put a sandwich bag over the front of my foot, then put on my shoe. It isn't enough for really cold weather, but it really helps cut the wind chill.

 

[dhk]

I invested in the Pearl Izumi Amfib booties this year. They work great at temps in 30-50F range, and are easy on/off. If I lived where you do, I'd definately have a pair of these.

 

[dhk]

Correction.....I got the heavier Toesters. Had the Amfibs first, but needed the XL size to fit my 45 shoes. The LBS had to order the Toesters as the Amfibs weren't available in XL.

It's a steep price for booties, but the Toesters fit great, are well made, and are really warm.

 

[MuzzaB]

Another cheapie - a lady I ride with uses a pair of heavy woollen socks (such as you might wear with hiking boots) overtop of her shoes. She cuts a hole for the cleats and spays the socks with a standard waterproofing/potective spray. The socks are obviously a larger size (I think her husband's) and were destined for the rag bag otherwise.

I'm guessing the threads around the cleat-hole must fray a bit - haven't asked her what she does about that.